Thursday, September 29, 2011

I've seen this garage a million times, just south of Delmar in University City, and I've always been impressed with the beauty of the green terracotta tiles.And coupled with the roof of the main house, it creates a wonderful ensemble of green in a city of red brick.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Yes, that's a statue of Abraham Lincoln in front of the courthouse in Metamorah. The Greek Revival courthouse is in the process of being restored.The beautiful square in front of the courthouse is a perfect setting to view the Doric colonnade, whose columns are currently stripped and awaiting new paint.The bell tower is a unique feature, as it is more English Rococo than Greek Revival.I'm always fascinated by the interiors of these buildings, as they're often much more simple than their exteriors. Was that planned, or did they run out of money for the interior?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Famous for being one of the venues of the Lincoln-Douglass debates, Metamorah is also a quaint, if relatively small town.Dominated by the original courthouse, where Lincoln practiced law, it looks almost a little like New England; most courthouses in Illinois that I've seen are in the middle of the town square, not facing it.I was also impressed to see that most, if not all of the square's storefronts are filled--a welcome sight when so many town centers have been devastated by Wal-Mart or that ugly, ubiquitous strip of stores along the nearby highway.Adlai Stevenson's house is in town as well; it is actually quite old and indicative of architecture of the early town.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Built in the early 20th Century and now listed on the National Register, the Illinois Traction Depot in Mackinaw provided service between Peoria, Danville and St. Louis.The McKinley Bridge originally carried the railroad to St. Louis's downtown.I like the streamlined design of the station, as well as the prominent black holes where the electrical lines no doubt attached to the station.Now a tea room, the station provides a welcome landmark on the north side of the small town.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Marine Villa is one of those neighborhoods that is forgotten about, often times confused with just being the southern portion of Benton Park, and doesn't have a lot of businesses that are well known outside of the neighborhood.But it still has some stunning architecture, particularly along Broadway, which I might add is way too wide for the traffic it handles nowadays.There is an interesting mix of housing stock, some from the later 19th Century, and some that looks earlier and later.The large amount of Second Empire houses are what I love so much about this area.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

One of the busiest intersections in Pekin hosts no fewer than four churches that I could spot.In particular, I was interested in this Modernist church on the southwest corner. Its clean lines contrasted greatly with some of the older churches at the intersection.Looking closer, I realized I had seen a church similar to this one in Webster Groves, Missouri.Sadly, the intersection is so hostile to pedestrians that the beauty of this Central Illinois "Holy Corners" is largely lost in the exhaust and speed of the automobiles flying by.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Tazewell County Courthouse is a fantastic example of Beaux-Arts architecture in the early Twentieth Century, and is also listed on the National Register.The building was designed by the firm of Deal & Ginzel, a partnership between John Deal, an experienced builder turned architect, and the more classically trained architect Roland Ginzel.The firm built numerous public buildings throughout central Illinois, including courthouses and high schools.I love the detailing on this building, including the huge, ornate, almost baroque entrances on all four sides of the building.It's a stern building, without any frivolity or even a dome like so many courthouses in the Midwest, but it makes for a powerful presence in the middle of downtown Pekin.

Chris Naffziger

Patina

Pronunciation:

\pə-ˈtē-nə, ˈpa-tə-nə\

1 a: a usually green film formed naturally on copper and bronze by long exposure or artificially (as by acids) and often valued aesthetically for its colorb: a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use; 2: an appearance or aura that is derived from association, habit, or established character; 3: a superficial covering or exterior